Drive slip regulating systems (automatic slip control, ASR), which limit drive torque by way of an intervention in the engine management system of an engine of a vehicle in order to keep the vehicle stable, are known. The limitation of drive torque occurs in slip-dependent fashion, the drive torque being more greatly decreased in the case of low coefficients of friction, for example on snow.
A prerequisite for engagement of the drive slip regulation system is that the speed of the driven wheels must exceed a target speed. Problems can occur with automatic slip control when driving off from a stop, since (as defined by the concept) the target slip at a stop approaches infinity. In practice, the target slip is set so that the engine is not stalled by the automatic slip control system. The driven wheels can, however, thereby end up in an unstable region of the friction/slip curve, with the result that driving off on an uphill slope on snow or ice becomes more difficult and in some circumstances in fact impossible.